


What You Know

by Naomida



Series: Howl at the Moon [16]
Category: Fantastic Four, Marvel, Thor - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Angst, Loki Needs a Hug, M/M, Magic, Pack Feels, Werewolf Mates, and he gets it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-20
Updated: 2017-02-20
Packaged: 2018-09-25 20:07:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,007
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9841901
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Naomida/pseuds/Naomida
Summary: Loki still couldn’t believe that anyone other than Amora couldevertruly care about him, but it seemed like this pack, and Namor first, were firmly set on proving him wrong.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Happy one year anniversary to this story!

“You have to go,” hissed Amora, grabbing Loki by the wrist, her aura making a shiver run up his arm. “If you know, they do too, and you know they’ll try to get to you!”

“They’ll find me wherever I go, and they haven’t come yet, I have time.”

“No you don’t!” she immediately snapped, sending a quick look over her shoulder at the pack’s house.

He knew she had cast something to keep their conversation private, so it was a purely nervous gesture, which didn’t make Loki feel better.

“You’re putting this entire pack at risk by staying here, and you know that. I’m leaving, and I’m not saying it because I want you to come with me, but you need to get away from here too. The Marrok will come, and when he does, things are going to get very ugly.”

Loki didn’t say anything and Amora sighed heavily before hugging him close.

“Be safe,” she murmured, before leaving.

  


  


***

  


  


Loki and Reed were both in Loki’s bedroom, the first one reading a book, the other grading tests that had him sigh and roll his eyes every three minutes, when the door was opened and Victor, in his wolf form as usual, walked in.

Reed tensed but didn’t look up, Loki put his book down on his lap and raised an eyebrow at the wolf and Victor, for the first time since Reed’s breakdown, turned to look at his mate and slowly walked to him.

Loki watched with rapt attention as the wolf reached the desk Reed was sitting at, hesitated for a second and gently laid down, using Reed’s right foot as a pillow for his head, before sighing softly and closing his eyes.

For a very long moment, no one moved.

Then, Reed sighed too, his shoulders relaxing as he started moving again, grabbing another sheet of paper and starting to cover it in red ink, his movements not as easy as before but still, it was progress.

Loki picked up his book again once he was sure the youngest was alright and he didn’t have to kick Victor out.

  


  


***

  


  


Namor’s skin was warm under his lips, his pulse strong and steady, and Loki loved the way his breath hitched every time his teeth scrapped against his throat. Really, he was glad that Namor was part of this pack. He didn’t think he could have gotten through what Amora had done without the reassurance of a person he was starting to get used to being intimate with again.

Unfortunately, that meant that Namor wasn’t duped and actually knew him quite well.

“We should stop,” he murmured when Loki started kissing down his collarbone.

Loki sighed, watched goosebumps run all the way down Namor’s chest because of it, and rolled away so he wasn’t pinning him down anymore.

“What’s the matter?” he asked, settling in next to him on the various pillows.

The house was blessedly empty, with everyone at work and Victor and Peter out and about, like they usually were now, so Loki knew that they could speak freely without fear of eavesdropping.

Apparently, Namor intended on making the best out of it, because he rolled on his side, facing Loki, and raised his eyebrows in that superior way of his.

“The matter is you, and you know it.”

Loki pursed his lips and didn’t reply.

“Since that witch came–”

“Amora,” Loki cut him, but Namor only frowned slightly and went on.

“You’ve been different. Something changed, we all felt it, but I can’t put my finger on what exactly happened, so. Tell me.”

“I can’t.”

“Is it because of what happened to Reed?”

“No.”

“Is it because of the pack?”

“No.”

“Is it because of me?”

Loki was taken aback by the question – and the way Namor’s eyes flickered away for a second, like he was somehow ashamed or hesitant – and truthfully, the Alpha didn’t know how Namor could _ever_ think that he had done anything to him.

Loki had been the source of a lot of Namor’s pains, not the other way around.

“Of course not,” he replied, frowning and sliding closer to him on the bed, his hand gently touching his waist and sliding down to the small of his back, pulling him even closer to his chest.

Namor looked down at him, his blue eyes reminding Loki of so many memories, good and bad, that he wished he could forget.

“If anything,” he added, looking away for a moment and wetting his lips nervously because opening up and being honest was hard for him, “you’ve been helping a lot with what I’m going through.”

He didn’t look at him when Namor reached up and started running his fingers through Loki’s slightly-too-long hair, but it had him relax muscles he hadn’t even realized he was clenching, and he closed his eyes, focusing on the feeling of those fingers petting him.

“You’ve been getting awfully close to Reed recently,” said Namor after a moment, keeping his voice soft and steady, “and he really needs it after what happened, but I can’t help thinking that it’s because he reminds you of yourself.”

Loki’s heart jumped a little in fear but he didn’t move.

“You’re really upset about Sue and Victor keeping things from him, and rightfully so, but still it… it feels like it’s personal to you,” continued Namor, stopping the movement with his fingers.

Loki slowly opened his eyes and looked up at him.

His face was close enough that they could have kissed with just a slight tilt of the chin from one of them, but looking into Namor’s eyes, it was clear that the man wouldn’t let him do it if Loki tried. In fact, in his eyes, the Alpha found something that he hadn’t often seen directed at him, and that he had never thought he would see from Namor, yet there it was: worry.

Loki still couldn’t believe that anyone other than Amora could _ever_ truly care about him, but it seemed like this pack, and Namor first, were firmly set on proving him wrong.

“What did your Alpha and, or, mate did to you, Loki?” he asked, barely loud enough to count as anything other than a murmur, his fingers still tangled in his hair, their naked body touching under the covers, their face so close Loki could feel his breath fanning over his cheek.

It was too much. It was not enough. Loki couldn’t begin to decipher what he was feeling and for one, long second, he thought about listening to Amora and just leaving. Getting up, putting clothes on, getting out and never stop walking until he was _at least_ on the other side of the Mexican border.

But he knew that running away did nothing to make his problems disappear, this was the solid proof to that, so instead of rolling away, Loki did the exact opposite. He tucked his face between Namor’s neck and shoulder, wrapped his arms around him tightly, and breathed in the smell of him.

He smelled a little like Loki himself, and like sex and sweat and the bodywash Jim had left in the house, but mostly, he smelled strongly of worry and something softer, like tender affection.

“You can talk to me,” he murmured against the crown of his head, starting to run his fingers through his hair again. “You can _trust_ me.”

“I know,” replied Loki, whispering too, feeling himself starting to shake as Namor wrapped an arm around his shoulders and pushed him even closer to his chest. “I _do_ trust you,” he said, realizing it was true as he said it, “but I _can’t_.”

“You know the Marrok doesn’t scare me.”

“He should, and it’s my duty to protect this pack.”

“And it’s ours to protect _you_.”

Loki, instead of answering, squeezed Namor tighter and his eyes shut, trying to will the dampness in them away as the other wolf slowly caressed his hair and back and tried to reassure him.

  


  


***

  


  


For the next two weeks, Loki spent a lot of time watching the pack.

He watched as Johnny and Ben did their best to spend all of their time trying to entertain Reed whenever Victor – who hadn’t approached him since that time in Loki’s bedroom – was making it clear that he preferred the company of Peter and Sue.

He watched the way everyone was indulging Namor, especially Sue, who often asked to talk to him in private, probably about mate related issues – because she hadn’t been able to mate the one she had chosen, and, in a way, Namor was now in the same situation.

He watched as Peter and Victor started building a friendship, despite all odds and the fact that one of them was still mostly on four legs and unable to speak most of the time.

He watched, as Peter and Johnny spent all of their time cuddling, or holding hands, or smack talking the other just to watch him laugh and roll his eyes.

He watched as Ben’s entire face illuminated every time he spoke about Alicia or had her on the phone.

He watched as Namor’s face crumbled a little each time the house phone rang and Jim wasn’t the caller.

He watched, as everyone acted a little more careful around him. Like they were scared of stepping on his boundaries and pushing too much.

He watched, as Sue stayed up all night long, reeking of worry and guilt and hurt but pretended like everything was alright the next day. As she tried to mend what she had accidentally broken together, tried to spend time with Reed to reconstruct his trust in her, tried to talk to Victor who liked to avoid problems more than anything, tried to convey to every single member of the pack that they were cared for and loved and had someone willing to fight for them no matter what.

He watched, and he finally realized that he _couldn’t_ leave them. Not now, possibly not ever.

They were _his_ pack now, and it was too late for him to pretend otherwise. Which meant that he had to act _now_ before they all got hurt because of him.

  


  


***

  


  


“Thank you for agreeing to meet with me,” said Loki to the frightening woman in front of him – which he really appreciated. She had this no-nonsense air about her that had him choose her over anyone else.

“We both know when the Marrok’s henchman asks for you, there’s no real choice.”

“I prefer the term enforcer, but it’s not why I asked to see you. In fact, I’m here on personal business.”

She raised a deliberate eyebrow, her poker face not wavering a bit, and Loki had to admit that he was impressed and pretty pleased with his choice.

But then again, Melinda May wasn’t the fourth strongest werewolf in the country for nothing.

“I’m listening,” she said, lacing her fingers together and letting her hands rest on the table between them.

They were at a café in a small town three hours away from her pack and Sue’s – a deliberate move on Loki’s part, because he really didn’t need anyone seeing their meeting – and they had both arrived exactly on time and had shooed the waitress away when she had tried to get their command.

They weren’t here to drink and chat. It was business, and the fact that May instinctively knew it had Loki trust her just a tiny little bit more.

“What I’m going to ask of you will sound crazy, and it is definitely dangerous and could get you and your entire pack killed, but I trust your intelligence and that you’ll see it is in everyone’s best interest.”

“I’m not my pack’s Alpha and won’t act like it,” she warned.

“I know,” he immediately replied, “but Phil Coulson trusts your judgment, and I believe you will trust mine once I tell you everything.”

“Go on.”

“Before I do, I need to make sure that you will not betray me and, although I know this is not your style, tell people about what I’m about to disclose.”

She pursed her lips but still gave him her hand as he quickly cast a binding spell.

“Leave room so I can speak to my mate about it,” she said, “I’m not doing anything for you if I have to keep things from him.”

“Fine,” replied Loki, quickly rearranging the spell before letting go of her hand once he was satisfied.

He took the fact that she hadn’t hesitated about the spell as a good sign.

“The Marrok has personally deeply offended and hurt me, and as a result I wish to provoke him in a dual.”

“You’ll die.”

“I know, but I intend on bringing him down with me, and I know for a fact that in doing so, Thor, who’s his successor, will die too.”

“And how do you know that?”

“Because I believe I am his mate, whether he knows it or not, and he won’t be able to resist it if I die at his father’s hand.”

Melinda’s poker face wavered for all of a second before it was firmly back in place, but Loki still felt proud for making shock so clear on her face even for a short moment. He knew, how shocking it was to hear it, especially since the Marrok and his mate had attempted to raise Thor and Loki as brothers, but now that the binding spell they had cast on him was completely gone, there wasn’t any doubt in his mind.

Thor was literally the only logical choice – and he was the one person who had any sort of power on Loki and his wolf whether he liked it or not, which was a clear indication.

“So,” she said slowly, straightening up and leaning a little in the direction of the table, closer to him, “if I understand correctly you will try to kill the Marrok, dying in the process which will prompt Thor to finish the work for you, and I’m guessing die in the process too, and you want me, as the next one in the successor list, to what? Step up and become the new Marrok.”

“Exactly, and I want you to protect Alpha Sue Storm’s pack.”

“You’re asking too much,” she said.

“I’m asking for the right thing, and we both know you can take it.”

She scowled and looked away, but Loki knew she would to it when she didn’t instantly get up and walk out but started to anxiously tap her fingers on the tabletop instead.

  


  


***

  


  


Loki’s head was reeling on the long drive back, but he felt like a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders. His main concern had been for the pack and the result his actions could have on them, but he trusted Melinda to take care of that and anyone who would want to hurt them.

Now, all he needed to do was to finalize his plan, say goodbye to everyone and fight the Marrok.

But of course, as fate would have it, when Loki finally arrived at the pack’s house in the early evening, he found the entire house deadly silent despite the fact that he could see that the lights were on in several rooms.

That had him get out of the car and into the house way faster that usual.

Once inside the living-room, which was empty and still had the television on and playing a rerun of some reality tv that Johnny liked so much, he started panicking for real for all of three seconds before remembering that his other senses were more useful in that case.

He checked with his ears first, which, ultimately, was his downfall.

There were people breathing in the kitchen, he could hear them, and he immediately set off in that direction, not thinking of checking for how many people it was or using his scent first, just to make sure.

Namor met his eyes when Loki pushed the door open and almost ran into the kitchen and what he read in them – fear, understanding, worry, the same affection as he had already seen there – had him stop dead on his track and just stand there, not understanding what was going on.

The next person he noticed was, well, not making any sense.

Loki was a little ashamed, afterwards, that it took so long for his brain to believe and click with what his eyes were seeing, but he hadn’t seen those blue eyes in a very long time, and the raw pain he could read in them was totally alien, which made it even harder to recognize the giant man standing in the middle of the kitchen right between Namor and Sue and who was staring right into his eyes.

“Loki...” he breathed, sounding pained and awestruck and winded all at the same time.

Loki took a step back, a flood of feelings that had been locked away from him up until then suddenly hitting him square in the chest with absolutely no warning, and it was too much too quickly, he was getting swallowed whole by it and he couldn’t breathe anymore, like he was drowning.

Thor probably felt the same, because he stumbled over to him and latched on to him as soon as he was close enough, cradling him to his chest, wrapping his arms around him as tightly as they would go, and hunching over him like he was trying to disappear into him and swallow him at the same time.

Loki met Namor and Sue’s surprised and panicked glances over Thor’s shoulder and only had a second of utter dread before his wolf, as surreal as it was since it had never happened to him before, took over and started howling up at the ceiling.

Thor howled back, too loud against his sensitive ears and sounding _so pained_ , so _hurt_ , it felt like a physical punch to Loki’s guts.

And just like that, Loki knew that he was doomed.


End file.
